Episode46: In The Silence

  Something was strange. I took a tram so as to go the central city. Nevertheless, when the tram had almost arrived at the central station, suddenly, it turned for a direction outside as if it were avoiding the city centre. I wondered if I had taken a wrong line. So, I took another tram for the direction of the city centre.

  However, the tram headed far away from the centre rather than close to it. I got off the tram at the next station. Then I looked at a map and started to walk toward another station in order to change the line, again. There were few people walking on the streets. I enjoyed walking and watching the view. Half an hour later, I found the station which I was looking for. I was waiting there for a tram to come. But, nothing happened. I was still there, alone, after 30 minutes. I didn’t know what was going on. Although that summer was quite hotter than usual, I started walking again, feeling hopeless.

  When I arrived in the centre of city, I noticed that several streets were blocked by barricades that prevent vehicles from entering. As I found a newspaper in a stand at the kiosk, I finally understood. That afternoon, the American president and the Russian president were due to have a summit in Helsinki. From Esplanardi St. to the president’s house, massive amount of people were already packed in. I couldn’t even cross the streets. Above our heads, two helicopters were hovering. Presumably, the Big Two would arrive soon. I decided to wait for them with the crowd. About an hours later, at last several black vehicles came in a queue. Against my prediction, nothing happened, albeit a few people were hanging up placards against them. People were standing calmly. No one threw eggs nor shouted loudly. This astounded me very much. I‘ve heard that Finnish people were very modest, even when they enjoyed in Air Guitar Festival.

  During that summer, a high temperature tortured people. Then a supermarket offered them a cool space to spend the night. They were reading and slept on a mattress instead of stealing foods and drinks. What an amazing story, isn’t, it?

※毎月1日、15日に掲載予定です。
※この記事は、The Traveler’s Time vol.3に収録。

第46話　静けさの中で

何か変だった。
私は中心街に行くのにトラムに乗った。
ところが、まもなく中央駅に到着するという段になって急に方向転換したのである。まるで中心街を避けるかように。ひょっとして路線を間違ってしまったのだろうか。